Wednesday, January 27, 2010

It's easy to blow by this neat little strip of shops while zipping along this throughway to the 5 freeway in west Silverlake. Indeed, getting this shot was a little hair-raising with all the fast-moving cars, themselves another reminder of the priority LA places on moving as many cars as quickly for as far as possible — an almighty creed of speed that deters exploration. If you drive slowly to browse a new area, for instance, you'll probably draw some road rage; if you decide to stop and have a look around on foot, you'll find yourself doing the destination dance: find parking, pay fees, mark the time, secure belongings, prepare a return schedule, &c. &c. "Discovering" new places in Los Angeles is a research job fraught with risk: what if you spend 30 minutes driving and another fifteen parking only to find out the place sucks, and there are no alternatives within walking distance? (Better check Yelp and Google traffic first.) Fascinating that a simple infrastructure design choice (wide streets) can have such profound effects on spontaneity. A narrower Hyperion would not just encourage more casual visitors but also help increase a sense of ownership savvy for all — after all, it's always more fun to unearth local gems on your own rather than read about them first online. See it narrowed!Diptych prints available

explore the map

It's easy to blow by this neat little strip of shops while zipping along this throughway to the 5 freeway in west Silverlake. Indeed, getting this shot was a little hair-raising with all the fast-moving cars, themselves another reminder of the priority LA places on moving as many cars as quickly for as far as possible — an almighty creed of speed that deters exploration. If you drive slowly to browse a new area, for instance, you'll probably draw some road rage; if you decide to stop and have a look around on foot, you'll find yourself doing the destination dance: find parking, pay fees, mark the time, secure belongings, prepare a return schedule, &c. &c. "Discovering" new places in Los Angeles is a research job fraught with risk: what if you spend 30 minutes driving and another fifteen parking only to find out the place sucks, and there are no alternatives within walking distance? (Better check Yelp and Google traffic first.) Fascinating that a simple infrastructure design choice (wide streets) can have such profound effects on spontaneity. A narrower Hyperion would not just encourage more casual visitors but also help increase a sense of ownership savvy for all — after all, it's always more fun to unearth local gems on your own rather than read about them first online. See it narrowed!Diptych prints available